


Nightmares

by killerweasel



Series: Rest & Recovery [3]
Category: Good Omens (TV Series)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-23
Updated: 2020-02-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:41:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22864210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/killerweasel/pseuds/killerweasel
Summary: In which there is angst.
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens), Beelzebub/Gabriel (Good Omens)
Series: Rest & Recovery [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1639300
Kudos: 55





	Nightmares

Title: Nightmares  
Fandom: Good Omens (TV Series)  
Characters: Crowley, Gabriel  
Pairings: Beelzebub/Gabriel, Aziraphale/Crowley  
Word Count: 850  
Rating: PG  
A/N: After Episode 6.  
Summary: In which there is angst.

Gabriel wakes up screaming. He looks around wildly, heart hammering in his chest. He can feel something damp on his skin and actually checks to see if it blood or just sweat. He wraps his arms around himself, breathing hard.

The door to the room opens and Crowley sticks his head in. He checks around the room, doesn't see any sign of an attacker, and then moves to the bed. Gabriel's eyes follow him as he sits down. "You're okay, Gabriel. It was just a nightmare. Need you to breathe for me, okay? In for a count of four and then out for a count of five. It'll help. Trust me."

The Archangel takes several deep breaths. He can feel his body calming down. With a sigh, he leans back against the wall. "Where's Beelzebub?"

"She went with Aziraphale to pick up some groceries. Miracling it doesn't make it taste the same." Crowley bites his lip. "Did you want to talk about it? Might help."

"He was burning my wings." He shudders. "He was laughing as I tried to move, tried to get away. It hurt so much." Gabriel is quiet for a few minutes. "How do demons stand living down there? Just being there made my body ache. It drains you, makes you feel like everything is horrible. It's a big place, but it feels closed in at the same time. And the smells..."

"Do you really want to know?" Crowley's voice is soft. He wonders if Gabriel would have asked Beelzebub the same question. "Technically, we don't have to stay there. It's not a written rule. But, ever since the Fall, demons decided they needed to be punished for what they are, what they've done. So they stay and are miserable because it's what they think they deserve. Me, I avoided the place as much as possible. That's part of the reason I volunteered for 'apple duty'. And once I was out, I never wanted to go back again. You lot haven't exactly given them any reasons to think they can leave. If I was given a choice between Heaven or Hell, I'd still pick Hell. I wouldn't want to go back up there. I'd never fit in. Angels can be worse than demons, but they don't think what they're doing is wrong. I've only found one angel who isn't like the rest of you."

"Aziraphale."

"He helped save the world. He saved billions of people, not to mention all the angels and demons who would have died for no real reason, and you lot decide to reward him with death. You didn't even give him a trial. I got a trial in Hell. Of course, they'd already decided the outcome, but they went through and faked making an effort." He jabs Gabriel in the chest with a finger. "You think you're better than us. Guess what. You can still bleed and hurt just like we can. We're helping you because it's the right thing to do and if the roles were reversed, I doubt you would have helped either of us."

With a snarl, Crowley jumps up from the bed and moves towards the door. "I'm going to make some coffee. You're welcome to join me if you want, as long as you're not an asshole."

\---

The smell of coffee is heavy in the kitchen when Gabriel finally decides to leave his room. Crowley is nowhere to be seen. The demon isn't anywhere in the cottage, so Gabriel ventures outside to the greenhouse. He can hear Crowley screaming inside and can feel the absolute terror coming from the plants. He hesitates outside of the greenhouse for a moment, takes a deep breath, and then goes inside.

The fear he'd felt before slams into him like a wave. He actually staggers backward under the weight of it. The greenhouse has vanished and he's back in Belphegor's lair, chained to the wall, bleeding from more wounds than he can count while begging for the demon to stop. Gabriel falls to his knees with a whimper.

Then hands are on him and he's being pulled outside onto the grass in the sunlight. He doesn't try to struggle, doesn't try to get away. He can hear someone speaking softly, but the words don't make sense. It isn't until a pair of wings wrap around his frame that he finally blinks his way back to reality. "Crowley?"

"You're not there. You're on Earth. Are you with me yet, Gabriel?"

"There was so much fear..." He curls up smaller inside of Crowley's wings and then the demon is actually holding onto him. "Your plants are terrified."

"I know." He makes a face. "It was either scream at them or punch you in the face, so I went outside. Didn't mean to give you a flashback. Wasn't my intention."

Crowley starts to fold his wings back and Gabriel grabs his arm. "Could you leave them, just a little bit longer?"

"As long as you want, Gabriel."

\---

Crowley's wings are still wrapped around a now slumbering Gabriel when Aziraphale and Beelzebub come back.


End file.
